


Artistic License

by misura



Category: Havemercy Series - Jaida Jones & Danielle Bennett
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-18
Updated: 2015-12-18
Packaged: 2018-05-07 11:35:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5455115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Caius finds the perfect diplomatic gift.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Artistic License

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Evandar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evandar/gifts).



The drawing was titled innocuously enough: _The Loyal Retainer Rewarded_.

"It will make a nice gift, don't you think?" Caius said. He was smiling, but not in a way that suggested he was joking. Rather, his smile suggested to me what I already knew: that he was a madman.

"No." No, I did not think that presenting the Emperor of Ke-Han with a pornographic image of him and his bodyguard (or whatever the man's official title was) could be considered a good idea in any way.

True, I hardly imagined the new Emperor would be so offended as to break the peace treaty that was still less than a year old. And it wasn't that I _liked_ the man, either. I barely knew him.

I assumed that he was reasonably sane, though, and no sane man could be pleased with this gift.

"Well." Caius looked genuinely surprised by my reply. "But only try and consider the situation, my dear."

The 'situation', as I knew it, was that for no reason at all, rather than being left in peace, th'Esar had seen fit to exile me once again. Worse, he had seen fit to do so in the company of Caius Greylace.

"Either they're sleeping together, in which case our presenting this will be just the thing to make the whole affair public knowledge, or they are _not_ sleeping together, even though they both desperately want to do so, in which case this may well break the ice. It is quite brilliant, don't you see?"

I did not see how it was brilliant at all. However, I did see that it would be pointless to say so.

"Oh, but I do hope they haven't been quietly pining for one another all these years, the poor dears," Caius said, perfectly happy to monologue. "It is quite dreary, don't you agree, to feel you can only ever look but never touch?"

"I suppose." In truth, I had never considered the matter. You wanted to get to know someone better, you stepped up and _talked_ to them. And if they weren't interested, well, then you moved on. No need for any drama or complications.

Of course, I did not for a moment imagine Caius would see it that way. He'd probably tell me that I was 'a simple soul'. He wouldn't mean it _quite_ like an insult, but it wouldn't come out sounding like a compliment, either. Not that I cared what he thought of me.

"I am very happy that _our_ relationship, at least, has moved beyond such things," Caius said, beaming at me as if it was his birthday and I had given him the very thing he had wanted most in the world. "Truly, my dear, you cannot imagine how thrilled I was to hear that we would be travel companions once more."

'Thrilled' was not the word I would have used to describe my own feelings.

"So tell me, my dear, is it true that your birthday will be coming up in two weeks?" Caius asked. "You must permit me to organize some small celebration. I do so love a good party."

I dreaded to think of what Caius Greylace would consider 'a small celebration' - or 'a good party', for that matter. On the other hand, denying him would only lead to him finding some other way to get what he wanted. This way, at least, I might be permitted some small say in the activities, and the guest list.

Caius beamed some more, grasping my hand. "And I already have the perfect gift, too."


End file.
